The Matalan store at Westwood is to ‘downsize’.
Permission has been given for the unit, on Westwood Retail Park, to be split in two. Matalan will continue to trade from the reduced space. A second unit will be created and is expected to be a sports outlet.
Park owners CD10 Properties Limited say: “Matalan is the current occupier of Unit 8. The unit is 4,579sqm gross internal area at ground floor and has a 493sqm mezzanine.
“The unit no longer meets Matalan’s business model requirements and the application proposals will allow Matalan to downsize into a smaller unit (unit 8a) to be created through subdivision which will be 3,168sqm gross internal area at ground floor level and the existing 493sqm mezzanine will be retained in that unit.
“A smaller unit (Unit 8b) will be formed in the ground floor area to be vacated by Matalan and will have a 1,393sqm gross internal ground floor area and a new mezzanine of 503sqm is proposed within this unit. The proposed mezzanine will be used for ancillary non sales purposes only.”
The proposals also involve a major refurbishment and upgrading of the shopfront including two new entrances.
Matalan opened at the site in 2000.
The firm, which was founded in 1985, has recently downsized other stores including at Bletchley and Sunderland.
A Matalan spokesman said the company could not comment on particular shops but, as with most major retailers with a widespread store base, it regularly reviews options for all of its stores.
